Budget carrier SpiceJet on Wednesday placed an order for 42 737 MAX jets with the US aircraft maker Boeing for $4.4 billion (Rs 26,000 crore).
The two sides signed an memorandum of understanding to this effect at the inaugural day of the 4th edition of the India Aviation Conference in Hyderabad.
Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh inaugurated the 5-day long event.
"SpiceJet greatly values the ties we have built over the years with Boeing.
“The Boeing Next-Generation 737 aircraft, the mainstay of the fleet ever since SpiceJet started operations, have vindicated our choice by their endurance, reliability
and cost effectiveness," said S L Narayanan, Group CFO for The Sun Group.
"The induction of Boeing 737 MAX will further modernise our fleet, improve customer experience, and ensure that we operate the most efficient fleet well into the future," he added.
The 737 MAX brings the most advanced engine technologies to the world's best-selling airplane, building on the strengths of Next-Generation 737, he said. It incorporates the latest-technology CFM International LEAP-1B engines to deliver the highest efficiency, reliability and passenger comfort in the single-aisle market.
"The order is a tremendous endorsement of the 737 MAX's unsurpassed fuel efficiency," said Dinesh Keskar, senior vice president of Asia Pacific and India Sales, Boeing Commercial Airplanes.